6 healthy things you should *NOT* eat before running this summer 

I've heard somewhere 'the real courage is when you wash down prunes with sourmilk'. I think it was a stand-up comedian...but unless you want your next race to take a more melodramatic turn, you should steer clear of some 'healthy choices' in the run up (pun intended) to your next long run. 

1) Fresh veggies &  salads

- especially iceberg lettuce, mung bean sprouts, cucumbers, tomatos 

Iceberg lettuce, cucumber and tomato = a portaloo disaster; the thin skin and loads of fibre and water are guaranteed to send you on a run...the last thing you want on a race. Plus, fresh salads are easily perishable and may contain bacteria that may cause more serious food poisoning.

2) Fruit (except bananas) - especially strawberries and raspberries

 

Fruit make and excellent source of fibre, which keeps you regular and which is precisely why they shouldn't make their way into your pre-race diet routine. This applies especially to seasonal fruit such as strawberries and raspberries that have lots of tiny sees which pass our GI tract undigested, sweeping everything out on their way.

3) Dried fruit

A real fibre-bomb. Even a handful of innocent dried fruit can already contain your DRI of fibre. If not convinced, just compare the fibre content in fresh and dried fruit below:

FRUIT TYPE	FRESH	DRIED
Prunes	1.6	16.1
Apples	2	10.3
Apricots	1.7	10.3
Grapes / sultanas	1.5	7
Figs	2.5	12.9
Dates	No data	8.7

After: http://poradnikzdrowia.net/tabela-zawartosci-blonnika/

4) Beans & Pulses 

Fava beans, white and kidney beans, soy, lentils

A great source of fibre beloved by vegans, they can cause winds and flatulance which is surely *not* desireble on a long run...

5) Whole grains

Wholegrain bread and cereals are great, but due to their high fibre content and relatively low digestion time (lower GI), you'd better leave them for another day than the race day  

(* RUNNER'S  DELIGHT  #BLACK Race Day porridge is ok !) 

6) Dairy 

- cow's milk and yoghurt 

I love milk and I defo do not have milk intolerance...but I stay away from my favourite lattes the day before a longer run. Milk is a fairly biologically unstable product and it goes off quickly - you never know what your bacteria tolerance will be on any particular day. Plus, the bacteria in fermented milk products may additionally upset your stomach. 

Opublikowano 22 hours ago, autor: Runners Delight

  

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One for the ladies ... sex hormones and running

'Running? On my period?! You must be joking...I struggle to climb two flights of stairs on these days...' - a friendly female doctor told me lately when we were discussing how hormones affect running (and the other way round, coz running actually does affect our hormonal balance to a significant extent)

Well, I was blessed to have run a full marathon on 'those days' and didn't really mind; the real nightmare for me is the week before I start my period (if I have it, which is usually 'off-season', in the colder winter months, when my inner sloth cuts back the mileage - we'll come back to that.) I was often wandering why what comes so easy one week later seems like an impossible feat just a few days before... it didn't take long to find the answer. I am a woman, I have a menstrual cycle, and my performance / physical capacity in general is acutely affected by two sex hormones: oestrogen and progesterone.

 Oestrogen rules the first half of your cycle and is your buddy. In the follicular phase, the increasing concentration of estrogen will:
- adjust your body temperature set-point down in your hypothalamus - that's why your body temperature drops during this phase and your body responds to the temperature outside quicker by switching on its cooling mechanism. As a result, you don't feel like your boiling as you may towards the end of the luteal phase;
- your body uses more fat as energy source - estrogen promotes and speeds up the use of fat as energy source, thus helping you spare your glycogen reserves, and increasing your endurance on long runs;
- your muscles build up strength more quickly - in one study, quadriceps femoris strength after a series of 12 repetitions every second day over the two phases was tested, and - surprise surprise - the strength gains were at 27.6 per cent during the follicular phase training vs only 10.5 per cent during the luteal phase
- your breathing activity goes down - and since we associate our breathing activity (how fast we get 'winded') with perceived effort, running in your mid-follicural phase will seem easier;
- you don't retain so much water - hence you are lighter and experience less swelling; your blood circulation is also more efficient then;

Progesterone is king during the luteal phase and this is the bad guy who gives you PMS, increases your apetite so that you consume roughly 12% more calories than during the follicular phase, sets your body temperature at a higher level, thus putting you at risk of overheating, ratchets up your ventilatory activity, thus making you feel more winded, and makes you use mainly carbs as your energy source, thus making it harder for you to burn fat and stay on track for a longer run.

Period holidays, anyone? Amenorrhea 

I mean, honestly, who actually invented the menstrual cycle in the first place? If you were to choose, wouldn't you rather...get rid of it at all? So most of endurance athletes actually welcome secondary amenorrhea - the condition when you period magically disappears as you increase your mileage, and replace your adipose tissue with muscle (when your fat stores edge towards the dangerously low, erm, 15 %) - your body thinks you are starving and reacts by shutting off oestrogen production (it's clearly not the best time to have a baby!). This may sound good enough, but estrogen plays one more imprtant role in your body - it regulates calcium absorbtion in your bones. Hence, low oestrogen due to excessive training may increase your risk of stress fractures. Not exactly what you want! 

One thing we don't really think about is how sex hormones and menstrual cycle affect our performance. And it does. Don't stop running in the run up or on your period, but be considerate to yourself - it doesn't mean you're a bad runner if you feel winded and demoralized on these days!

Sources:
http://ubermotherrunner.com/2013/04/10/womens-hormones-and-running-guest-post-by-jason-karp-ph-d/
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/staying-healthy/30-things-every-woman-should-know-about-running/285.html
http://www.elitefts.com/education/training/women-running-into-trouble/
http://www.shutupandrun.net/2012/11/how-your-period-affects-running.html
http://www.active.com/running/Articles/8-Ways-Estrogen-and-Progesterone-Affect-Your-Running?page=2

A *tough tough tough* mudder

Finally, after almost 6 weeks of unwelcome rest due to an injury which prevented me from running my second marathon, I've returned to running. This time last year I was running 30ks, last week, I struggled to run 3 for the first time. It was a bit like learning to walk again, and a funny mixture of joy at being able to experience the miracle of running again and disappointment. I had not expected my shape to *go* so quickly; my levels of fitness seem to be at an all-time low and so are my levels of confidence.

This is not something you would normally expect to read in the running community. We are expected to be always bubbly and motivated, spark joy and ooze with endorphins, love our bodies and inspire others. But this is not always the case. I am now on the way to full recovery, but it's not only my body, but also my spirit that needs a good physio. The truth is, we get a fair share of our runner's highs over the course of our running lifespan, but we all have our runner's lows as well.

I have been going through a pretty bad patch lately in other departments too. Last year I came up with an idea of a running-related start-up. I was inspired by my then better-running-half who used to go wild with his porridge in an attempt to fuel his crazy triathlon training regimen. I joked he is making 'Runner's Delight' and that's how the idea of porridge made especially for runners was born. 10 months and bazillion hours spent on research and development, designing packaging, testing different recipes, writing copious amounts of text, I finally have a product that is awesome and ready to ship. The only crack of the issue is, for now it is too expensive to produce to ever bring any profit and the manufacturing process is proper hell. I've spend most of my weekends over the past 3 months packaging porridge till 4 or 5 am on a Sunday. Not exactly the kind of Saturday night fever you'd expect... There have been countless, really countless obstacles on my way and I often felt really helpless about them. I've always had very high expectations of myself and I always want to deliver great results, quick.  couldn't even find the words to There is no business model, no marketing budget, and the dream vs reality match has so far been a heavy defeat of the former.

When porridge takes over... my house is my warehouse; let's not talk about comfort...

But I decided not to give up. I've been doing faster but shorter runs every day for the past week, fartlek and relatively short (for me at least) (10-13 k) 'long' runs. I am getting stronger with every run.
I also decided not to give up with my porridge dream. I had an honest conversation with a friend of mine who's been working on this project with me over the past 10 months and I realised the only direction we can go now is forward. That the reality will always fall short of the dream and that blood, tears and sweat are a part and parcel of starting any project up, chasing any goal, let alone one as ambitous as Runner's Delight (a quantum of solace here...https://medium.com/boost-vc/9-things-entrepreneurs-get-horribly-wrong-when-starting-a-company-1a2032b68441)

So onwards and upwards! Now I can go for a run!

Running Giveth, Running Taketh Away

It's finally really sunny, warm and nice outside, my friends are posting their happy post-marathon selfies on Facebook and everyone seems to be out on a run (judging by their Endomondo posts). Everyone but me. I have not been running for 10 days now. TEN freaking days! The longest time I have not been running in nearly a year and a half, since I took up running 'seriously' again after a longer break. The reason? I broke a metatarsal. 

And that not even running! Although probably the miles I was packing could contribute to the stress fracture I incurred while gracefully stepping down from a ladder I was using to paint the walls in my late nan's flat.

So now - the way it looks - my life is a mess (quite literally - I am not able to finish the redecoration on my own now and I'm living in a nightmare of paint rollers and books strewn everywhere) - and it's begun to dawn on me how important running was. 

Actually, just before the injury, I wasn't having a very good time running. After my last half-marathon in Warsaw (followed by acute hematuria and recommended rest) I didn't feel too confident on my feet and running a stupid 10k was a bit of a struggle. So when I heard (or felt...or both) the cracking sound while landing on my foot last week I thought the break would be welcome rather than difficult.

Serious running-freak? That wasn't me. I like to think I was just a recreational runner. I did it for fun and had no interest in setting records or constantly chasing my personal best. I went to races solely for fun, to meet new people, see new places, experience the runner's high multiplied by the factor of thousands and  cheer my better running friends.

So, I thought, a break in my case would be easy. Wrong. The 900 miles I did last year took a toll on my body and mind. It left an indelible mark, as if creating a new psychological need I now desperately want (but can't) satisfy. I am incredibly surprised. It seems I needed this fracture to realise this.

I feel like my body has also changed rapidly over the last 10 days. It's absolutely stunning how quickly you lose muscle. 

The time that is coming is going to be difficult. Very difficult. I am about to launch a crowdfunding campaign I've been working on for the past 9 months and I was supposed to be logging miles and sending postcards from the runs as one of the rewards. I was supposed to have finished redecorating my apartment by now. I am going to LMV (as a spectator, of course) this weekend and on a trip to Portugal the day after. How on earth am I supposed to do it all on crutches?! 

And how on earth am I supposed to stay fit (both physically and emotionally) under house arrest (I work from home), unable to go for a run and having to put up with the mess around me? This time last year I started preparing for my first marathon. I remember the 20 and 30k runs I did last May. I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. Now I feel like I've let myself down. I can smell the putrid whiff of the word 'failure' in the air. 

In such situations, there are two ways out - give up and despair (not very much like me) or face the music and persevere. What can I do to stay fit while waiting for my foot to heal? 

Today I decided to make an experiment and try to run on crutches. I will soon let you know if it worked...

Also, more on metatarsal stress fractures coming! Brace yourself! (Quite literally too!)

Gelatin recipes that taste wicked and are oh-so-healthy

Gelatin is a real powdered gold...it is pure collagen and works wonders for joints, skin, teeth and many other things you would't even think of  (which you can read more about here http://www.mamavation.com/2015/03/10-reasons-you-should-eat-jello-every-day.html) - but on its own it's not exactly the most exciting food at all... the ready-made jello mixes you can find on store shelves are packed with sugar and artificial colours and flavours, and so it's better to steer clear of them. However, you can easily make your own delicious treats packed with natural goodness to reap the benefits of gelatin without compromising on taste. Check the infographic above for a really chocoloatey (and guilt-free!) treat.

Things runners never say #1 hematuria

It turns out a lot of runners experience it at some point. Blood in your urine. It can certainly give you a fright and send you running to your GP. While it actually should (because there may be several reasons for passing blood through the urinary tract which are not exercise-related), there is no need to panic if you're not experiencing pain and the red hue does not persist a few hours after you have stopped exercising.

Apparently, there are as many as three (!) reasons for passing blood through your urinary tract (a.k.a. Hematuria) that are induced by running itself. Gross? Good news is, it could be worse :) Welcome to the world of endurance running!

1. Footstrike hemolysis / mechanical muscular trauma
   The reason for blood in your urine may actually lie in your...feet. The foot strikes, repeated several times over a few hours, especially on hard surfaces, cause damage to red blood cells in the feet and releases haemoglobin into the bloodstream, whose excess is then lost to the urine. This type of hematuria is actually called haemoglobinuria.
2. Microscopic lesions in the interior wall of the urinary bladder as a result of bladder-jostling on the run
   We all know that if you are a runner, you are prone to injury sooner or later...but we often associated 'running injuries' only with the musculo-skeletal system. But would you think you can actually injure an internal organ while running? Well, now you do! The impact of your foot strikes, especially if you are running on hard surfaces without sufficient padding, can cause trauma to the delicate walls of the urinary bladder, causing tiny capillaries inside to bleed and tint your urine. If hematuria has happened to you after a long run before, do not urinate later than 30 minutes before exercise. The little urine in your bladder may prevent the bladder walls from making contact and alleviate the symptoms.
3. Increased permeability of the glomeruli
   Strenuous exercise has a serious impact on the renal function. It is estimated that the renal blood flow may drop to 25% of its resting value. This changes the permeability of the glomeruli. The increased glomerular permeability allows the red blood cells to pass to the urine, thus colouring it before normal filtering capacity is restored.

All in all, passing blood into your urine after strenuous exercise (especially a marathon or half-marathon) has several physiological causes and is not as serious as it may seem. However, if it has happened to you for the first time, you are experiencing pain or the blood remains in your urine several hours after you have stopped exercising, it is important to consult your physician, as it may also be a symptom of an infection, kidney stones or a tumor.

Read more: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6567229

http://www.time-to-run.com/doctor/bloodyurine.htm

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s004210050480#page-1

How to deal with *Runger... *

When I typed 'runger' into goolgle I got surprisingly (or even disapplointingly) few hits. Even more disappointingly, when I pressed 'images', I got pictures of those gorgeous, skinny, leggy actresses, without warning and any real reason.

But runger is a real phenomenon and it is a very logical consequence of how a day (especially Sunday, the staple long-run day) in the life of an endurance runner/ athlete looks like.

Say you're going on a long Sunday run. Say a 20-miler. You get up at nine and have some light breakfast rich in carbs. Preferably complex, whole carbs with different GIs like porridge topped with some fresh and dried frui with a dash of almond milk / natural greek yoghurt. But you know how it is – some of us just don't feel hungry early in the morning and will just grab a banana and chew it absent-mindedly over the Sunday morning catch-up with the news.

Then you duly wait for the meal to settle in your stomach and set out at – say, 10:30 or 11.00. For a *really slow* endurance, ekhm, jogger like me, the finishing line of a 20 miler is almost 4 hours away from now.

Let's say I didn't forget and take a gel or two. At best, I am going to consume 200 kcal between breakfast (9 a.m.) and the time I come back from my long run (2 p.m. - let's be optimistic!). In that time, I – at approx. 115 Ibs – will have burned about 2000 kcal.

I come back home and the first thing I can think about is shower. Then bed. Never the fridge (yet; but it will hit home in 2-3 hours, and it will hit hard); I forget about post-run, pre-shower 4:2 carbs:protein snack of course.

So...now it's 4:30 p.m.; I have not eaten in more than 7 hours and have burned more than my daily calory intake. The slight feeling of nausea has subsided, I have had a snack and the a dinner and then...the hell breaks loose. I spend the rest of the evening on trips to the fridge. The weight loss miracle for me does not happen. (I actually put on half stone in the run up to my first marathon);

So, what to do to avoid this scenario? (And runger can last the next day too!)

1. Take enough gels/ gums/ Gatorade to re-fuel on the run. It will do three tricks:
   - prevent you from 'hitting the wall' (bonking) when your carb tank runs empty;
   - it can actually make you go faster! A recent study (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/jphysiol.2008.164285/full) found that the cyclists who washed their mouths with glucose solution on the bike had faster times and lower perceived fatigue levels. All thanks to the stimulation of the reward system in the brain...
   - the sugar oozing in your blood will help you stave off hunger; and if you actually feel nauseous after endurance training, it may be because of your depleted blood sugar levels
2. DO EAT A POST-RUN SNACK. Just do it. Do it. Really. Prepare some plant-based chocolate milk & banana smoothie beforehand – boil a little water, add a heaped table spoon of cocoa, a few stevia leaves to sweeten it up without loading on sugar, and a two pinches of salt (that's actually important! And it will be tasty too, don't worry); pour two glasses of natural unsweetened almond/ soymilk (before buying, check the ingredients first) and leave to cool; mix in a blended banana (gives 1-2 servings).
3. Take shower and have a proper dinner. This should include a good source of protein (e.g. chicken breast) and complex carbs with lots of fibre (I personally opt for more low-IG sources of carbohydrates, e.g. steamed veggies – green beans, collard greens, spinach – than high-IG foods like rice/ pasta, which spike my blood sugar levels and make me feel drowsy when it drops);
4. Don't shun fat – healthy fats (e.g. salmon) make you feel fuller for longer – unlike carbs, which are digested quickly and which can cause you to feel hungry soon after your blood sugar level drops
5. Snack healthy – if you have to, prepare a bowl of crunchy veggies (julienned carrots, cucumbers and celery sticks) with some spicy hummus – the capsaicin in chillies ratchets up your metabolism and will make you simply...eat leass.
6. Sip on 'sports' water – people often confuse thirst with hunger and overeat when they should be hydrating; but be careful about drinking too much of plain water! This can cause hyponatremia (water poisoning) – a common condition among endurance athletes caused by the loss of minerals with sweat; hence, prepare your own 'sports' drink: mix two pints of still mineral water with 2-3 pinches of salt, a hint (teaspoon is enough) of honey and lemon slices for a low-calorie, 100% natural 'sports' drink; you can go creative with fruit and make different flavours – I personally love my water with lime and blackberries.
   Hope this helps...Do you have any other life hacks for fighting 'runger'? Please share your tips, I'm curious!

More useful tips can be found here:

http://dailyburn.com/life/health/control-your-hunger-distance-running/

http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2013/07/what-to-eat-before-during-and-after-your-workouts-races/